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Adopted by the 51st World Medical Assembly
Tel Aviv, Israel, October 1999
A. INTRODUCTION
- The goal of medicinal therapy is to improve patients' health
and quality of life. Optimal medicinal therapy should be safe,
effective, judiciously chosen and cost-effective. There should
be equity of access to medicinal care and an accurate and up-to-date
information base meeting the needs of patients and providers.
- Physicians and pharmacists have complementary and supportive
responsibilities in achieving the goal of providing optimal
medicinal therapy. This requires communication, respect, trust
and mutual recognition of each other's professional competence.
When counseling patients, the physician may focus on the goal
of therapy, the risks and benefits and side effects. The pharmacist
on the other hand may focus on correct usage, treatment adherence,
dosage, precautions and storage information.
B. THE PHYSICIAN'S RESPONSIBILITIES
(Only in relation to medicinal therapy, without reference to the
physician's full range of responsibilities)
- Diagnosing diseases on the basis of the physician's education
and specialized skills and in accepting the sole responsibility
for the diagnosis.
- Assessing the need for medicinal therapy and prescribing
the relevant medicines (in consultation with patients, pharmacists
and other health care professionals, when appropriate).
- Providing information to patients about diagnosis, indications
and treatment goals, as well as action, benefits, risks and
potential side effects of medicinal therapy.
- Monitoring and assessing response to medicinal therapy, progress
toward therapeutic goals, and when necessary, revising the therapeutic
plan (where appropriate in collaboration with pharmacists and
other caregivers).
- Providing and sharing information in relation to medicinal
therapy with other health care providers.
- Maintaining adequate records for each patient according to
the need for therapy and in compliance with legislation (medical
law).
- Maintaining a high level of knowledge about medicinal therapy
through continuing professional development.
- Ensuring safe procurement and storage of medicines that the
physician is required to supply.
- Reviewing prescription orders to identify interactions, allergic
reactions, contra-indications and therapeutic duplications.
- Reporting adverse reactions to medicines to health authorities,
when appropriate
C. THE PHARMACIST'S RESPONSIBILITIES
(Only in relation to medicinal therapy, without reference to the
pharmacist's full range of responsibilities)
- Ensuring safe procurement, adequate storage and dispensing
of medicines (in keeping with the relevant regulations).
- Providing information to patients, which may include the
name of the medicine, its purpose, potential interactions and
side effects as well as correct usage and storage.
- Reviewing prescription orders to identify interactions, allergic
reactions, contra-indications and therapeutic duplications.
Concerns should be discussed with the prescriber (physician).
- On request of the patient, discussing medicine-related problems
or concerns with regard to the prescribed medicines.
- Advising patients, when appropriate, on the selection and
the use of non-prescription medicines and the patient's management
of minor symptoms or ailments (accepting the responsibility
for such advice). Where self-medication is not appropriate,
advising patients to consult their physician for diagnosis and
treatment.
- Reporting adverse reactions to medicines to health authorities,
when appropriate.
- Providing and sharing general as well as specific medicine-related
information and advice with the public and heath care providers.
- Maintaining a high level of knowledge about medicinal therapy
through continuing professional development.
D. CONCLUSION
- The patient will best be served when pharmacists and physicians
collaborate together, recognizing each other's roles, to ensure
that medicines are used safely and appropriately to achieve
the best health outcome.
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